The Road to Victory

IGVC Day 4 - The Sweet Taste of Success

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 14:42:10 -0400

Today was the big day. Today was the day we saw which teams’ words had substance and which teams’ words were pure fluff. A vehicle has to do more than look or sound like a winner. It must be able to perform like one, as well.

This last day of the competition began bright and early at 7:30 a.m., on the campus of Oakland University, with a group picture of all the teams and their vehicles. Then, at 8:00 a.m., the first runs of the Autonomous Challenge were conducted. Out of the 37 schools that came to the IGVC, 21 qualified for the opportunity to compete in today’s challenges. One by one, in the order that they qualified, each vehicle had the chance to drive through the complex obstacle course and prove that they could do so in the shortest amount of time possible with the fewest mistakes. Although Capacitops’ first runs were somewhat shaky, with some adjustments, it was finally able to traverse 344 feet of the difficult course in five minutes—a performance worthy of capturing third place in the challenge!

After a successful Autonomous Challenge run, it was time for our team to prepare Capacitops for the Navigation Challenge later that afternoon. Earlier in the day, we heard that only two teams were able to reach all of the course’s eight waypoints during the designated seven-minute period. As we made our way to the course, we were confident that we would be the third. Yet, when problems with our motor driver and a loose cable hampered our first and second runs, respectively, we began to develop some concern. With only one run left, we checked and secured nearly every aspect of the vehicle (twice!) before bringing it back onto the course. The result? Capacitops was the third and final vehicle to reach all eight waypoints, and did so in a time of six minutes and one second. This run catapulted us into third place in the Navigation Challenge!

With a third-place win in the Autonomous Challenge and a third-place win in the Navigation Challenge, we were ecstatic to learn that we were the recipients of the IGVC’s Lescoe Grand Award for placing third overall. Out of 37 schools, out of 37 teams of bright, hard-working students from the United States, Canada, and Japan, we captured third place. Posing for pictures with my teammates, our awards, and our newly-acquired, fashionable farmer’s tans, it was in that moment that I realized that we, as a team, achieved what sometimes seemed impossible. During the six-month period that we endured to design and develop Capacitops, we accomplished a great deal. However, we also encountered several setbacks. Yet, in the end, we accomplished our greatest goal: success at the 2007 IGVC, which also translates into success for ourselves, for our university, for our sponsors, and for our families and friends—all who have supported us throughout every step of this project. Our months of early mornings, late nights, hard work, and perseverance have paid off with our victory serving as a testament to that. There is no denying that this competition has done more than just teach us about engineering. We learned a great deal about ourselves, as well as about each other. In the process, we created a few dozen memorable moments.

I speak on behalf of my teammates when I say that we are looking forward to next year’s IGVC, as well as the next level of success that we can reach and the new set of fond memories that we will make.

Congratulations, everyone! :)

IGVC Day 3 - Learn from the Past. Live for the Present. Hope for the Future.

Sun, 10 Jun 2007 14:38:28 -0400

The third day of the competition began with an announcement of the Design Competition results. Sitting at our tables in quiet suspense, we were nervous, yet anxious, to hear how we faired. I, along with my teammates and faculty advisors, believed that we had the potential to place well in the competition based on our well-written report and unique presentation. However, once the standings were announced, we were disappointed to hear that we were not among the top three teams in our design group. We soon realized, though, that we had nothing to be disappointed about. We knew the effort, drive, and high level of quality that went into our work. While we cannot change the results, what we can do now is analyze our performance and improve upon our weaknesses, so that we can (hopefully) achieve greater success at next year’s Design Competition.

From there, while some members of the team went back to rewriting code and taking the vehicle out on the test course to prepare for tomorrow’s challenges, I was given the chance to play “Team Photographer.” Paying visits to each of the teams’ tables, I had the opportunity to become acquainted with teams from around the United States, Canada, and Japan and their vehicles. It was astounding to see how differently each of these teams chose to approach the challenges of the competition. Needless to say, it was also a delight to meet students from around the world who shared the interest and excitement for engineering and for this competition as we did.

I have had a fantastic time preparing for the IGVC and being at the IGVC, thus far. It is hard to believe that come tomorrow, it will be over. :(

IGVC Day 2 - Overcoming the First Hurdle

Sat, 9 Jun 2007 14:30:12 -0400

Today was more than just the second day of the IGVC. It was also Otis’ birthday; and thanks to Phuong, the team was able to celebrate by indulging in some ice cream cake. Yum! With sugar rushing through our bodies, we quickly went to work on preparing Capacitops for Qualification. In order to compete in the Autonomous Challenge and in the Navigation Challenge on Monday, our vehicle was required to meet certain criteria established by the IGVC. Our vehicle could not exceed the minimum and maximum limits for length, width, and height. The vehicle’s mechanical and wireless E-stops had to be functional with the wireless E-stop being effective from a distance of at least 50 feet from the vehicle. Capacitops also had to prove that it was capable of following lane lines, avoiding obstacles, and navigating itself towards a waypoint. All of this had to be done without exceeding the maximum allowed speed of 5 mph. After all of the vehicle dimensions were measured and all of the tests were performed, Capacitops became the sixth vehicle to qualify that day and the eleventh to qualify overall. Pleased to know that our vehicle would be competing on Monday, we spent the rest of the day testing Capacitops and tweaking its code.

IGVC Day 1 - Let the Good Times Roll!

Fri, 8 Jun 2007 14:23:07 -0400

After loading Capacitops into the trailer along with a few last-minute essentials, we were off to Oakland University in Rochester Hills, Michigan for the first day of the 2007 IGVC. Arriving around 11:30 a.m., we found our assigned location in the team tent and put our interior-decorating skills to good use as we set up our computers, (meticulously :P) hung the UDM banner, and displayed our corporate sponsors’ logos. From there, it was time to prepare for our Design Competition presentation. For some odd reason, some of the guys on the team felt this also meant it would be an optimal time to educate me about the lesser-known benefits of being a card-carrying IEEE member… haha. Eventually, their silliness subsided, and it was time for Phil and me to take center stage and proudly present Capacitops on behalf of our team and our school. Starting at 3:00 p.m., we were the first team scheduled to present and to have our vehicle inspected. Departing from the presentation tent, the entire team felt confident in its and Capacitops’ performance. Combined with our report, I believe we have an excellent chance of placing well in the Design Competition this Sunday.

Although the presentation was over, the spotlight still shined brightly on Capacitops and on our team. FOX 2 News was on-site to do a piece about the IGVC, and in particular, the local schools competing at the competition. A great deal of footage was taken of our vehicle, and Kevin and Phil had the opportunity to express their pride for Capacitops and for our school on camera. To be aired soon, it is expected that all of this will be highlighted in a special segment known as the Gen Next Honor Roll, which features young Metro Detroiters who are striving to make their communities better places. Beaming with satisfaction, once the video was taken and the interviews were over, it was time for us to get back to work to prepare the vehicle for Qualification tomorrow.

Ready or Not, Here We Come

Thu, 7 Jun 2007 14:27:51 -0400

It is the day before the big competition and, needless to say, we are all excited and anxious to see what the next four days will bring. We would be lying, though, if we did not admit that we are also somewhat nervous to see what the next four days will bring. Most of the team will tell you that they wish they could have a few more weeks to test the vehicle, to find and fix any and all possible “bugs” that may be lurking within it, to add a few more innovative features, etc. Yet I know, as I am sure that my teammates do, that those are just the butterflies in our stomachs talking. Phil and I have rehearsed our presentation for tomorrow’s Design Competition. We have conducted our last late-night test runs on the makeshift obstacle and waypoint courses that we created outside the Engineering Building. We have loaded everything that we will need for the competition (and thensome) into the trailer; ready for us to haul to the competition grounds in the morning. This—the IGVC—is what we have spent the past six months working tirelessly towards, and we are prepared. We are ready.

Pimp My Bot

Sun, 27 May 2007 14:16:58 -0400

This weekend, we decided to get a little creative with Capacitops. Although we had anticipated that heat would be dissipated by the laptops and the power box, we did not expect the interior of the vehicle to get as hot as it did during testing. Therefore, the team deemed it necessary to incorporate a ventilation system into the vehicle. Finding it would be ideal to draw cool air into the vehicle via a small fan on each side of the LADAR, in the front, we expanded upon the vehicle’s dinosaur-like name and agreed to utilize the fans as eyes. Of course, with cool air being brought into the vehicle, warm air has to be pushed out. As such, we planned to place two fans along the underside of the rear of the vehicle. Installing blue LED fans for air intake and red LED fans for the expulsion of hot air, what resulted was a vehicle that looks sharp during the day and alluring at night. By sitting our vehicle’s wireless router antenna on top of the LADAR, we were also able to give Capacitops horns that mimicked those of a dinosaur.

Following NASCAR’s lead, we also spent this weekend gathering and artfully placing the logos of our generous sponsors onto Capacitops’ shell. We felt this would be the best way that we could display our appreciation to those organizations who believed in us and in our vehicle.

While we made sure to make Capacitops look attractive, for us, it was not enough to just have a good-looking vehicle. The individuals that made it must look good, as well. With James’ Photoshop skills, I just finished designing a team T-shirt that will surely succeed at doing that. I also found a great deal at Steve and Barry’s for UDM baseball caps. Yay for sales! I told you I would make you guys look great. :)

Now, if only we could get those hydraulics…

It Is Just as Much a Masterpiece on Paper as It Is on the Course

Tue, 22 May 2007 14:14:57 -0400

After spending the past month collecting information, taking photographs, and wracking my brain over the most eloquent ways to describe Capacitops, the Design Competition report is FINALLY DONE! Once the faculty advisors and I reviewed and revised the 16-page document this afternoon, copies were made and sent off to the IGVC judges. We think it is terrific. Now, all we can do is wait until June 10th to see if the judges agree. *Crosses fingers*

Never Say, Oops! Always say: Ah, interesting.

Tue, 8 May 2007 14:10:45 -0400

This week, the pavement outside of the Engineering Building was transformed into a course that would be used to examine Capacitops’ abilities to navigate itself towards waypoints. With Capacitops in tow, Phil and Utayba have been putting their Navigation Challenge code to the test on this course. Although it appears that their code will need some further adjusting, they definitely look like they are on the right track and will have it ready in time for the competition, which is only one month away (no pressure, guys :P).

While Phil and Utayba have been taking over the pavement, Kevin and Steven have been putting the volleyball courts outside of Shiple Hall to good use as they have been utilizing it to test Capacitops’ capability to traverse the sandpits. Currently experiencing some problems with the motors, they would error out which would cause the vehicle’s wheels to skid. Hopefully, this will also be fixed soon (one month, fellas! :P).

As with any major project that one undertakes, though, difficulties are bound to arise. Yet, as our faculty advisors (and our parents) would often remind us, we learn a great deal from our mistakes. So, while setbacks like these are frustrating now, we know that by understanding and resolving them that we will be doing more than benefiting ourselves. We will be benefiting all the UDM IGVC teams to follow, as well. And to think, we were only expecting to learn about engineering through our Senior Design project.

Ooo, Ooo I Want a Ride, Too

Wed, 11 Apr 2007 14:54:20 -0400

With the weather getting warmer, it is time to being testing Capacitops outdoors. As such, Phuong, Otis, and I were enlisted to design and construct an obstacle course outside of UDM’s Engineering Building. After taking some measurements and watching video footage that was taken at the 2006 IGVC, we were able to create a scaled-down, yet representative, course that the team could use to test Capacitops’ heuristics and image processing and obstacle-avoidance techniques for the Autonomous Challenge. Completing the painting of the course late last week, Kevin began testing Capacitops on it two days ago. Although there were some obvious kinks in his code, I am confident in Kevin’s abilities and know that he will have it working in time for the competition. Would you not find a vehicle that could autonomously do “donuts” at over 5 mph entertaining, though? The IGVC judges should really think about giving us bonus points for that. ;)

This week, I have begun working on the report for the Design Competition. With Kevin’s and Steven’s help, I was also able to take some beautiful pictures of Capacitops around UDM for inclusion in the report. Although the intent of our campus tour was to take photographs, I guess you could say we also decided to use that opportunity to also test our vehicle’s durability and power. ;) Like eager little kids, Kevin and I each took a turn riding on Capacitops. Surprisingly, each of us experienced fairly smooth rides as we steered ourselves via the remote control. For a vehicle that costs just as much as a real vehicle (about $21,000), I would hope so. You know, this would be a truly unique and fun way to give campus tours. I wonder…

A Vehicle is Born

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 13:27:52 -0400

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a vehicle! As Dr. Mohan would often say, “It’s so beautiful, you’ll cry.”

Using the PCB schematics generated for Thor, Albert, Big Andy, Phuong, Otis, and I have spent the past few months improving their layouts and developing them for implementation in Capacitops. Sending the PCBs out to be made, we received them in the mail last week. A few days later, we were able to assemble Capacitops’ power box and remote control.

Then, with all of Capacitops’ components in our hands, we were ready to piece those elements together to give life to a vehicle that we have only been able to envision in our minds. Many of the guys on the team spent this past weekend hooking up the vehicle’s electronics and sensors, and creating a clean layout that allows for easy accessibility and serviceability. Furthermore, the guys were able to efficiently use every inch of space that was available in the vehicle. This is a significant improvement over UDM’s previous UDM IGVC vehicles, and hopefully, will not go unrecognized by the judges. Now that Capacitops can move, it is time to teach it to move on its own. We can do it, guys!